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KSB Movitec 2013 pumps – versatile and cost-effective

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:51:09 +0000

Mississauga, ON– With the arrival of the latest generation of KSB’s Movitec pumps, KSB Canada has widened its portfolio of small size centrifugal pumps.

Geared to the commercial market, the Movitec vertical multi-stage pumps is available in-stock. The 2013 Movitec series sports optimized laser welded hydraulics – making them the most efficient high-pressure in-line pumps in the market. Available with a range of material and seal options, these pumps are more versatile than ever.

Applications range from fluid transfer to instant pressure boost, making Movitec suitable for many industries and sectors. With seal variants rated for temperatures from -30 °C to +140 °C, these standardized centrifugal pumps are designed to handle a huge variety of media, ranging from water (including acidic and alkaline solutions), alcohol, and vegetable oils to petroleum products and condensates, liquid CO₂ and LPG. A new addition to the product range is the tri-clamp coupling, the connection of choice for pharmaceutical and hygienic food or beverage applications. Thanks to their optimized hydraulic system and enhanced pump foot the new generation of Movitec high-pressure pumps has broader efficiency curves and significantly lower NPSH values. These pumps come in different sizes (up to 90 mm pipe diameter). Inlet and outlet nozzles are same size and in line so the pumps are easy to install in piping systems. Movitec pumps are designed to be easy to service; when equipped with Easy Access or cartridge seals, seal replacement can be done without removing the motor. They are rated for volumes of up to 113 m³/h (498 gpm) and discharge pressure of up to 2,496 kPA (362 psi).

“The introduction of the new generation of Movitec allows us to offer KSB’s world-renowned quality and reliability to customers who need an off-the-shelf, cost-effective solution for mid-capacity, high pressure transfer and booster applications,” explains Mike Blundell, President & CEO of KSB Canada. Movitec pumps are in stock with selected KSB distributors across Canada. The pump maker’s latest partner is Calgary-based CanDyne Pump Services Inc., which has started to build up a strong customer base for KSB’s Movitec pumps in Alberta. KSB’s objective is to make the highly versatile Movitec pumps readily available coast-to-coast.

About KSB

KSB Pumps Inc., based in Mississauga, ON, is a member of the KSB Group, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of pumps, valves and systems. KSB’s history dates back to 1871 in Germany, where the company’s global HQ is still located. In 2012, KSB generated a total turnover of € 2.268 billion (approx. CAN$ 3.02 billion) with a global workforce of 16,200 employees. KSB's giant product portfolio consists of more than 3,000 different off-the-shelf pumps and valves – and thousands of engineered and customized solutions. KSB Canada has specialized in providing reliable pump solutions for the most challenging applications in industrial and utility power plants, environmental (water and wastewater) facilities and industrial processes.

www.ksb.ca

Harting adds Randolph Froude to Canadian sales force

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:02:13 +0000

MONTREAL – Harting has named Randolph Froude to the new position of Area Sales Manager for Ontario and Western Canada, the second stage in the company’s plan to establish a strong sales presence in the Canadian market.

The first, completed in 2011, was the opening of a national sales office in Montreal, headed by Claude Gravel. Froude, who has an engineering background with a leading machine builder and extensive experience in sales/marketing with major vendors, has built strong relationships with many large customers in Ontario by providing them with solutions to their interconnect needs.

“Randolph’s appointment continues the process of establishing a personal relationship between Harting and our Canadian customers and building on what has been a very successful launch for Harting Canada,” said Jon DeSouza, president and CEO of Harting, Inc. of North America as well as Harting Canada, Inc.

About Harting

The Harting Technology Group, family owned and based in Germany, employs approximately 3,500 people globally across more than 40 subsidiaries and branch offices. With production facilities in Europe, Asia and the U.S., the Harting portfolio of connectivity solutions focuses on multiple levels, from the machine to the device and into the communication infrastructure. The US plant in Elgin, Illinois is one of three Harting locations worldwide that manufactures HIS products (Harting Integrated Solutions/backplanes) and custom cable assemblies. The company’s core business is intelligent and high performance connection technology. Harting works in almost all industrial markets with a focus on requirements for robust, reliable connectivity solutions.

Ontario Technological Skills Competition a big success

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:56:03 +0000

Kitchener, ON – The two‐day ‘Ontario Technological Skills Competition’ wrapped up last week, for the 24th year.

The event featured 63 contest areas and approximately 1,900 competitors from secondary schools and post‐secondary schools across Ontario. Aproximately 20,000 visitors from across Ontario visited the competition at RIM Park and Manulife Sportsplex on May 6 and 7, and pumped approximately $3.5 million into the local economy.

Run by Skills Canada – Ontario, the event encourages secondary and post‐secondary students to enter into the skilled trades, a job market that is expected to face dire shortages within the next 10 years. Skills Canada – Ontario is a not‐for‐profit organization dedicated to promoting the skilled trades and technologies as viable, first‐choice career options for Ontario youth.

At the closing ceremonies, Premier Kathleen Wynne speaking about how Ontario’s youth will shape the future of our economy. “You’re showing us what you can do with robotics, with carpentry and auto body work and team building. And no matter what specific skills you’re demonstrating, or where you place in the competition, I want you to know one thing: you can already do things that most people my age cannot have a hope of doing.”

She was joined by John Milloy, Minister of Government Services Commissioner, Board of Internal Economy and Government House Leader, and Brad Duguid, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities.

Students competed in their chosen trade for the chance at a gold medal. For example, they were diagnosing and repairing vehicles in the Auto Service Technology competition, nestling bricks into their cement beds in the Brick Masonry competition, and showing their white balance, framing and editing skills in TV and Video Production competition.

Many winners were honoured with a monetary award and the chance to head to the National Competition, to be held in Vancouver from June 5 to 8.

www.skillsontario.com

J.W. Winco Canada spring bolt options include knobs, internal threads

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:58:51 +0000

MISSISSAUGA, ON – J.W. Winco Canada now offers GN 313 Spring Bolts, in metric sizes.

Versions with or without pull knob are available, as well as with or without internal thread in the plunger pin.

The plunger pin in these RoHS-complaint spring bolts does not protrude in the inoperative position. It can be operated manually via the Push/Pull Knob, or in the case of the types without Push/Pull knob, it can be operated mechanically (via a pneumatic cylinder, cam plate, etc.), where the plunger pin will protrude only as long as it is in the operation mode.

An application example for the types with internal threads would be using the internal thread on the pressure side, for operation of special pressure bolts or a rod arrangement.

The threaded body of the plunger is steel, with black oxide finish. Plunger pin is stainless steel, European Standard No. 1.4305 (American Standard Series 303), chemically nickel plated. Knob is matte black plastic (Polyamide PA), not removable. Lock nut is steel, black oxide finish, DIN 439/ISO 4035.

J.W. Winco Canada offers an extensive selection of inch and metric size adjustable levers, cabinet U-handles, plastic and steel hinges and locking mechanisms, revolving and retractable handles, hand wheels, hand cranks, tube connection and conveyor components, inch and metric construction tubing, shock absorption mounts, leveling mounts, hand knobs, spring, ball and indexing plungers, jig, fixture and fastening components, retaining magnet assemblies, toggle clamps, metric casters and wheels, universal joints, oil sight glasses, and metric tools for the industrial and commercial equipment industries.

www.jwwinco.ca

Balluff opens new office in Chicago

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:18:24 +0000

Chicago, IL – Balluff’s new office in Chicago features areas for customer testing and validation of advanced control system architectures and sensing packages.

Rick Ayres, Sales Director – Midwest Region of Balluff, Inc. states “This new office space provides the infrastructure that will allow us to help our customers evaluate, plan and validate their next generation of control systems architectures using our distributed, modular concepts.”

The Midwest Sales Team at Balluff, Inc. consists of 9 Strategic Account Managers, Industry Managers, Project Managers and a Technical Support Team. Balluff’s sales team assists their customers in the design, build and support phases by providing flexible solutions for nearly every need. Ayres adds, “We help our customers reduce their risk on automation projects from concept to end of machine life. We use our ability to coordinate worldwide between customer HQ locations, plants and their machinery builders to ensure our customers have the lowest possible life-cycle costs and minimize their risks.”

Balluff offers a broad portfolio of products, including distributed modular I/O, RFID, connectivity, power supplies, sensors and accessories. Balluff specializes in helping customers automate their processes in a variety of industries including Assembly, Aerospace, Medical, Packaging, Energy and Steel.

About Balluff
Balluff Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Balluff GmbH, Neuhausen, Germany, is a leading manufacturer of a wide range of inductive, photoelectric, vision, capacitive and magnetic sensors as well as linear position transducers, RFID systems, and networking products. Balluff products for OEM and factory floor solutions are used to control, regulate, automate, assemble, position, and monitor manufacturing, assembly, and packaging sequences for industries including: metalworking, automotive, plastics, material handling, wood processing, aerospace, alternative energy, medical, electrical, and electronics.

www.balluff.us

Release of ‘sercos’ IO-Link mapping guide

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:12:53 +0000

‘sercos international’ has published a new guide for the standardized mapping of IO-Link devices to the sercos automation bus.

IO-Link is a low level, point-to-point communication interface technology for interconnection of binary and analog sensors and actuators. This user guide helps the automation engineer to uniformly connect and integrate sensors and actuators equipped with an IO-Link interface into a sercos system.

An IO-Link master can be realized either as part of a modular sercos slave I/O device or as a stand-alone sercos III slave. The cyclic data of all inputs and outputs of IO-Link slaves are either transmitted completely within a cyclic IO container or alternatively as separate parameters. The sercos parameter channel can be used in order to execute acyclic read/write access with regard to the addressed IO-Link slave devices.

On the joint sercos booth at Hanover Fair, sercos member Hilscher GmbH presented a development board with an integrated IO-Link master controller supporting 8 IO-link channels and a sercos III slave interface. The board is based on a Hilscher netX 51 network controller. Intelligent sensors and actuators can thus be easier and faster integrated into the established sercos automation bus via the IO-Link communication.

The IO-Link mapping user guide can be accessed by registering on the sercos specification server:

https://www.sercos.org/accredit/en/

Mercedes-Benz presents new features of its DriveStyle app

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:03:26 +0000

San Francisco, CA – Mercedes-Benz is showing its latest integration of Google services in one of its SL models at Google I/O, an annual developer conference showcasing the latest from Google’s product teams and partners.

Mercedes-Benz will be demonstrating the Drive Kit Plus, a system which in combination with a smartphone and a special app enables the seamless integration of the smartphone into the vehicle's infotainment architecture. And with the Digital DriveStyle App developed by Mercedes-Benz, the main functions of the smartphone can be organised under the headings Social, Media and Places and called up on the vehicle display – and also accessed safely and conveniently while driving via the COMAND controller or by using the voice based intelligent personal assistant. The Drive Kit Plus is available as an accessory for virtually all current Mercedes-Benz model series.

Digital DriveStyle App makes use of Google's Places API

In the concept version of Digital DriveStyle on display at Google I/O, Mercedes-Benz is demonstrating the capabilities of Google's Places API with four new features.

San Francisco. Google I/O is an annual developer conference featuring highly technical, in-depth sessions, and showcasing the latest from Google’s product teams and partners. This year's conference, which has taken place annually since 2008, will showcase Mercedes-Benz and its latest integration of Google services in the car.

In one of its SL models, Mercedes-Benz will be demonstrating the Drive Kit Plus, a system which in combination with a smartphone and a special app enables the seamless integration of the smartphone into the vehicle's infotainment architecture. And with the Digital DriveStyle App developed by Mercedes-Benz, the main functions of the smartphone can be organised under the headings Social, Media and Places and called up on the vehicle display – and also accessed safely and conveniently while driving via the COMAND controller or by using the voice based intelligent personal assistant. The Drive Kit Plus is available as an accessory for virtually all current Mercedes-Benz model series.

In the concept version of Digital DriveStyle on display at Google I/O, Mercedes-Benz is demonstrating the capabilities of Google's Places API with four new features.

-"Faster search, everywhere you go": Whether it’s a street address or nearby restaurant, find your destination faster with the Google Places Autocomplete API, which predicts the most likely destinations as you type.

-"Preview destinations on-the-go": Explore landmarks, parks, and storefronts from around the world with 360-degree Street View imagery and Google+ Local photos.

-"Know the hottest spots in town": Radar View uses the Google Places API Radar Search and Heatmaps to guide you to the center of the action by visualizing areas with high concentrations of night clubs, restaurants and shopping centers.

-"Get live traffic conditions": integration of Google’s traffic service, providing a color-coded overlay of real-time traffic conditions on a Google Map.

These features are still expected to be integrated into the Digital DriveStyle App in the first half of 2013. Customers who already own a Drive Kit Plus and are using the app can obtain an updated version via the App Store. This avoids customers having to visit their Mercedes-Benz dealer or workshop to be able to use the new services.

While the majority of the product as demonstrated at Google I/O will be released to the public, Mercedes-Benz is additionally previewing a proof-of-concept feature whose market introduction plans have yet to be determined: a City Guide using Places API Radar Search to visualize the concentration of various features (nightlife, shopping, etc) as a graphical overlay on a Google Map.

About Mercedes-Benz

Back as early as the beginning of the 1990s, Mercedes-Benz recognised the importance of having a presence in the innovation centre of Silicon Valley – and as a result in 1995 became the world's first automotive manufacturer to open a research site in Palo Alto. Today, Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America, Inc. (MBRDNA) has around 140 employees, the largest workforce of all of the automotive manufacturers located in Silicon Valley.

The Digital DriveStyle App has been fully developed in-house by Mercedes-Benz, with all of the functionality and design having been worked on by MBRDNA. The integration of Google content is a result of the close cooperation between the developers from Mountain View. This has been made possible thanks to a partnership between Google and Mercedes-Benz, announced at CES 2012.

The Drive Kit Plus, which enables the smartphone to be connected to the vehicle, was developed by Mercedes-Benz Accessories GmbH.

http://drive-kit-plus.com

Timken acquires Standard Machine, expanding industrial services in Canada

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:29:57 +0000

CANTON, OH - The Timken Company is continuing to expand its industrial services capabilities with the acquisition of the Standard Machine business based in Saskatoon.

Standard Machine provides new gearboxes, gearbox service and repair, open gearing, large fabrication, machining and field technical services to end?users inCanada and the western United States. The company, which employs 125 people, serves a wide variety of industrial sectors including mining, oil and gas, pulp and paper. In 2012, Standard Machine reported sales of approximately $31 million.

"The acquisition of Standard Machine further advances our strategy to expand our industrial services capabilities," said Carl D. Rapp, vice president of industrial services for Timken. "As a respected power transmission company in Canada, Standard Machine provides Timken with a great location and robust gear-making and machining skills, which differentiates them in key target market sectors."

Rapp added, "Standard Machine's location near energy and mineral resources, coupled with their strong technical team and service culture, provide an excellent platform to drive long-term growth in our business."

The addition of Standard Machine expands the company's gearbox and bearing repair services into Canada. Greg Porter, president and CEO of Standard Machine, will lead the business in Canada on behalf of the industrial services group within The Timken Company's Process Industries segment.

Earlier this year, Timken acquired the assets of Wazee Companies, LLC, headquartered in Denver, Colo., and Smith Services, Inc., based in Princeton, W.Va., as part of the company's plan to expand its industrial services capabilities.

About Standard Machine

Hamilton Gear Ltd. (dba Standard Machine), based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, serves end users in Canada and the western United States, offering gearbox service and repair, open gearing, large fabrication, machining and field technical services. Originally founded in 1967, the business now operates from a 110,000 square foot facility in Saskatoon and employs 125 people.

www.standardmachine.ca

About The Timken Company

The Timken Company, a global industrial technology leader, applies its deep knowledge of materials, friction management and power transmission to improve the reliability and efficiency of industrial machinery and equipment all around the world. The company engineers, manufactures and markets mechanical components and high-performance steel. Timken^® bearings, engineered steel bars and tubes—as well as transmissions, gearboxes, chain, related products and services—support diversified markets worldwide. With sales of $5.0 billion in 2012 and approximately 20,000 people operating from 30 countries, Timken makes the world more productive and keeps industry in motion.

www.timken.com

MaRS Cleantech Fund invests in Hydrostor's game-changing energy storage solution

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:22:25 +0000

TORONTO, ON - The MaRS Cleantech Fund is pleased to announce the completion of a venture deal with Toronto energy storage firm Hydrostor.

Hydrostor's technology converts surplus electrical energy to underwater compressed air and stores it for use at peak times.

"Our fund targets technologies that change the energy game, and low-cost storage is at the top of our list," says Tom Rand, co-managing director of the MaRS Cleantech Fund. "This is grid-scale technology, meaning that it has the ability to store energy on a level that will significantly impact our electricity grid. If you combine Hydrostor's technology with solar, or wind, you get cost-competitive base-load renewable power that will disrupt global energy markets."

Hydrostor's proprietary technology is based on a simple idea: Anchor a low-cost air cavity to the bottom of a lake or ocean floor, and store energy for use when it is most needed.

Surplus renewable electricity is used to drive a compressor that pressurizes atmospheric air to the pressure found at the sea floor offshore. The heat produced during compression is extracted from the air and stored in an insulated thermal reservoir. The air is stored in low-cost underwater accumulators, where the weight of the water keeps it at a constant pressure until required. When demand for electricity is again high, the system is reversed: The weight of the water forces the air back to the surface, where it collects the stored heat and drives an expander, reproducing approximately 70 per cent of the input electricity and releasing the air back into the environment.

The core advantage of this method is cost; Hydrostor can deliver grid-scale energy storage at a fraction of the price of competing technologies.

Hydrostor has two commercial projects under development. The first is in collaboration with utility host Toronto Hydro-Electric System Limited (Toronto Hydro). The second, with the national utility of a Caribbean island, will store wind power generated at night when it can't otherwise be used.

"Our project in the Caribbean will show renewables can compete directly with fossil fuels for island nations," says Cam Lewis, CTO and founder of Hydrostor. "By storing wind power at night and releasing it during the day, we turn wind power into something really useful. We can replace diesel generation today."

"The idea that wind and solar developers will be able to bid on base-load energy contracts is very exciting," added Murray McCaig, co-managing director of the Fund. "We'll be working with global partners, who can deliver large-scale energy projects, to bring this technology to market."

Early-stage venture capital is in short supply in Canada, particularly in the burgeoning global cleantech sector. The MaRS Cleantech Fund targets outsized returns by filling that gap in what is estimated to be a $2-3 trillion dollar market by 2020.

"We'd like to thank the MaRS Cleantech Fund and our other A-round investors for the confidence in Hydrostor and support they have demonstrated," says Hydrostor CEO Curt VanWalleghem. "We look forward to rapidly commercializing our scalable underwater compressed air energy storage technology."

About Hydrostor
Hydrostor Inc. is a privately owned Canadian company that has developed a proprietary, low-cost method of grid-scale energy storage using underwater compressed air. Hydrostor's strategy is to partner with utilities and energy producers to accelerate large-scale deployment.

www.hydrostor.ca

About MaRS Cleantech Fund LP
MaRS Cleantech Fund is a Canadian venture fund focused on early-stage cleantech investing. The Fund has developed a unique early-stage investment model through its partnership with one of the largest innovation centers in world, MaRS Discovery District. Through MaRS, the Fund is able to provide strategic advisory services and introductions to global corporate partners. The Fund is managed by Tom Rand (Twitter: @trand) and Murray McCaig (@murraymccaig), experienced entrepreneurs who bring a wealth of startup experience to their portfolio companies.

About MaRS
MaRS Discovery District (@MaRSDD) is a mission-driven innovation centre located in Toronto. MaRS works with partners to catalyze, accelerate and amplify innovation. MaRS supports entrepreneurs building Canada's next generation of growth companies.

Baldor announces a capital investment in its Ste-Claire, Quebec facility

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:59:52 +0000

STE-CLAIRE, QC - Baldor, a member of the ABB Group, is pleased to announce that Investissement Québec has agreed to support investments in the Baldor St-Claire facility.

The investment is intended to increase production capacity and modernise its equipment in preparation for moving a production line from Mexico to Quebec.

The Ste-Claire management team successfully demonstrated to Baldor's headquarters in the U.S. the benefits of transferring four types of products from Baldor's facility in Mexico to Ste-Claire. "We appreciate the confidence that Investissement Québec has placed in Baldor," says Chris Poynter, Vice President of the Discrete Automation and Motion division for ABB in Canada. We are pleased to announce that those investments will result in new jobs to increase production and that we demonstrated that our Quebec base manufacturing can be as competitive as any of the other site that we consider.

"This financial assistance will enable us to upgrade our production equipment, gain access to a growing market, as well as help us develop expertise and increase sales," says Pierre Boutin, Plant Manager for the Ste-Claire facility, in the Bellechasse region.

On April 3^,2013, Baldor was recognized for its contribution to the regional economy at the 6e Gala des sociétés en Bourse 2013. It won the top prize in the category "Regional investment - Public company based outside the Québec City region and Chaudière-Appalache."The annual event recognizes and celebrates the strategic role head offices play in driving economic vitality, innovation and creativity in the regions surrounding Québec City.

Baldor's Ste-Claire facility has been in business for almost 50 years. It employs about 175 employees. It specializes in the design, production and marketing of top quality power transmission product components for a large range of industrial applications. Baldor is renowned for developing superior custom solutions and personalized customer service. In January 2011, Baldor was acquired by ABB and is now a proud member of the ABB Group.

About ABB

ABB is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 145,000 people.

In Canada, employs about 3,000 people in more than 45 centers from coast to coast. We primarily serve customers in the utilities, mining and metals, oil, gas and petrochemicals, aerospace, life sciences and semiconductor markets. Our headquarters are based in Ville Saint-Laurent, Quebec.